Category: Music

  • After Outcry, Concertgebouw Will Allow Jerusalem Quartet to Perform

    The Dutch concert hall reversed course after facing criticism for canceling performances by the Israeli ensemble because of security concerns.

  • Portishead’s Beth Gibbons Returns Solo, Doleful Yet Determined

    With “Lives Outgrown,” her first album of her own songs in 22 years, the pensive voice of the trip-hop group confronts maturity and mortality.

  • Why Do People Make Music?

    In a new study, researchers found universal features of songs across many cultures, suggesting that music evolved in our distant ancestors.

  • With Church Bells and Hashtags, the Netherlands Backs Its Eurovision Act

    The details of an incident that led to the singer’s disqualification remain elusive. But many Dutch fans have already made up their minds.

  • Barbara Hannigan, Daring Singer and Maestro, to Lead Iceland Symphony

    Hannigan, the rare artist to have a career as a soprano and a conductor, will assume a full-time conducting post for the first time.

  • The Techno Pioneer Jeff Mills Blazes a Trail to Space, and Beyond

    At 60, the D.J. and producer is inspiring fresh generations with new work, including an LP that approximates the experience of traveling through a black hole.

  • John Barbata, Turtles and C.S.N.Y. Drummer, Dies at 79

    Barbata belonged to marquee bands of the late ’60s and ’70s, drumming on smash hits such as “Happy Together,” the first song he recorded with the Turtles.

  • Betty Buckley Is Not Wedded to the Same Old Songs

    The actress is back in concert mode at 76, and doing new material. She’s also looking forward to a bold new take on “Sunset Boulevard.”

  • Carlos Niño, the Spiritual Force Behind L.A.’s Eclectic Music Scene

    The percussionist, producer, D.J. and more has been helping artists like André 3000 express themselves for decades. His latest album is due later this month.

  • Arooj Aftab Knows You Love Her Sad Music. But She’s Ready for More.

    The genre-crossing songwriter’s introspective “Vulture Prince” was a pandemic hit. Now she is returning with “Night Reign,” an LP that reveals her many dimensions.

  • A Night to Remember at the Opera, Complete With a Phantom

    About 130 children took part in a sleepover at Rome’s opera house, part of a campaign to make up for a lack of music education by making the theater and the art form more familiar and accessible.

  • “Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift featuring Kendrick Lamar (2015)

    Reviewed by Ramona Prioleau

    The video for the chart-topping “Bad Blood,” a song by Taylor Swift that features Kendrick Lamar, was released in May of 2015. Set in a fictional London, the video features Swift, Lamar and a huge ensemble cast consisting of musicians and models in Swift’s “squad,” in a hyper-stylized, action heavy music video. All of the artists featured have a code-name they picked out themselves, and each of them have their own moments, all of which are reminiscent of scenes from a Mission Impossible or James Bond film.

    Part of the fun, or maybe all of the fun, with “Bad Blood” is picking out all the cameo appearances. Because of this, it’s worth it to see them all listed out: Selena Gomez, Lena Dunham, Hailee Steinfeld, Gigi Hadid, Ellie Goulding, Martha Hunt, Cara Delevingne, Zendaya, Hayley Williams, Lily Aldridge, Karlie Kloss, Jessica Alba, Mariska Hargitay, Ellen Pompeo, and Cindy Crawford all make appearances in the video, and it’s their inclusion that makes the video what it is. For fashion and music fans alike, it’s a whole who’s who.

    But there’s something else that makes “Bad Blood” special. It’s just so damn fun. You can tell that the reason so many of these women agreed to work on the project was because it seemed like a blast, and even though the song and video are based on a “beef” or argument, it’s clear that Taylor and her gang are just enjoying themselves. Their fun is infectious too, and the silly, campy vibe of the whole video is simply a joy. It’s also notable that Lamar is the only man featured, almost as if there’s an element of “Bad Blood” that involves these women taking back these action-oriented roles typically reserved for men. Of course, we know Lamar knows a little something, something about bad blood diss tracks.

    “Bad Blood” is silly, pop-culture fun. It’s not groundbreaking, it’s not particularly artistic, but it was novel enough upon release to see such a star-studded, elaborate music video. It’s worth a re-watch too if for no other reason than to see just how much some of the guest-stars have blown up in popularity themselves in the years since the video release. M

    May 2024